Canadian singer Flower Face explores a post breakup journey in her new album ‘Baby Teeth’

Canadian songwriter Flower Face recently released her album ‘Baby Teeth’, which explores the journey of coping with a breakup and getting over it.

The 19-year-old tells us more about her brand of upbeat songs with a touch of darkness, reveals her personal musical heroes and more.

What is the inspiration behind the single ‘April To Death’?

It’s kind of a sarcastic commentary on human nature, that’s disguised as an upbeat, fun pop song. It’s about being disappointed and disillusioned with life, and what we do cope with these things. It’s about how we try to get over things, by forcing it out of our heads and filling it up with other things instead, which we question later on but in the moment it feels good. The song kind of comes with the message, “maybe it’s fine to do all these things to cope.”

The single is taken from your album, ’Baby Teeth’. Do the rest of the tracks on the album come with a similar message?

Yes, the album is all about what comes after the moment you lose your first love. It starts with the track ‘Baby Teeth’ which is set in the moment of the breakup- about denial and heartbreak. The album is a breakup album. I tried to arrange the songs in an order that makes sense and flows in chronological order. It goes from the breakup in ‘Baby Teeth’ and the track that follow cycle through the various stages of post-breakup – the depression, the rebounds and distractions, getting a little creepy in a few songs and finally at the end an acceptance. It tells a story of emotional trauma.

Is this aspect of story-telling something that you’ve used in your previous work or is it something specific to this album?

Yes, most of my music has an aspect of story-telling within it. But this album is different purely for its sound especially since I worked with an outside producer.

What’s the story behind the name of the album ‘Baby Teeth’?

I used ‘Baby Teeth’ as a metaphor for firsts – virginity, first love. A first time for everything. When you are in love for the first time, and everything is different and amazing but when you lose that it’s like losing your baby teeth. The baby teeth represent the vulnerable parts of me that I gave to my first love.

What’s one moment in your personal life where you felt like you lost your baby teeth and was thrust into adulthood?

The first time I was in love it was really intense and the first we had a major fight, that was somewhere I felt like I had to grow up and take control.

How would you describe your sound? How is it different on this album?

It’s always pretty dark, even when it’s not. Even my upbeat songs always have some darkness to it. I think I was able to explore that darkness in a much deeper way with this album.

Who are your major musical influences?

I listen to a lot of music that sounds nothing like my own, and I’m always still influenced by it. I’ve really been into The National, Perfume Genius and many more, but more than trying to be like them, I’m just inspired by them on a personal level.But my number one influence would be Bright Eyes Conor Oberst, who I’ve listened to since I was a kid and who inspired me to get into writing music.

What’s been one memorable moment in your career? What’s a future goal?

When I released ‘Honey&Milk’ in September, which shot up to 150,000 plays, that was a major highlight for me just knowing the number of people out there in the world listening to my music.

My future goal is to just keep doing this. Just to make more music.

Finally, what’s one question you wished you were asked in an interview, but you’ve never been asked?

Instead of asking me who I sound like, I would like to be asked how I come up with my music on my own, instead of assuming it’s from outside influences.